Pita Pizza with Hummus and Chopped Salad: Real Convenience Food

Yes, I make most of my meals at home. But, no, I'm not cooking three-course meals for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. I like convenience as much as the gal picking up Mickey D's; I just want my easy food to also be good for me.

I've been eating this "pita pizza" every day for a week. Do you ever get into that kind of groove with food that is just so easy and so hits the spot? I actually look forward to it every day; it's nice to have something so fresh and filling for lunch. 

Now, this isn't a recipe as much as just an approach to throwing ingredients together in a way that I find particularly yummy. The salad that tops this pizza is basically this Tomato, Cucumber & Onion with Feta Salad; I simply diced everything instead of slicing. 

Brush some extra virgin olive oil on top of a whole wheat pita; put it in the toaster oven until it is browned and crispy. Slather on your favorite hummus.

Spoon salad over the pita and top with some chopped Greek olives. 

Cut into slices or quarters and dig in! Depending on how much hummus and salad you use, this could serve one or two people.

What's your "I could eat this every day!" lunch?

Happy Valentine's Day!

Don't think your kids would get excited about a non-candy treat for Valentine's Day? I bet they would. Kids love to celebrate holidays, they love to see old things in new ways, and they love to be reminded that you love them. 

If you have heart-shaped cookie cutters, you can make cute sandwiches or pancakes or even fun, baked french fries. You can cut out "Heart Beets." Or you can just take a plate and form a heart out of anything you've got in the house. I made this raspberry heart for my son as an after-school snack. Simple. Fast. Nutritious and sweet. Can't beat all that with a stick! 

My son got excited about his surprise snack. And he was reminded, yet again, of how much I love him.

Happy Valentine's Day, friends!

Chocolate-Covered Strawberry Smoothie: Rich, Delicious, and Vegan

Raise your hand if you'd like to kick off your day with chocolate. Ok, you're in, then. Cool.

Now, I'm not talking about tossing some M&M's into your oatmeal (because: eww). What I propose is a rich, delicious smoothie that is chock full of goodness to fill your belly and get your morning started right. I'm talkin' fiber, Vitamin C, calcium, iron, and protein, among other good things. Of course, strawberries plus chocolate is a classic pairing of flavors; let's also note that it teams up two of the most antioxidant-packed foods in town. In other words, chug-a-lug.

This smoothie boasts a secret ingredient: dried plums. Prunes? you ask. Yup. Not only do prunes pack a nutritional wallop and pair wonderfully with chocolate, they add sweetness to this smoothie, which is necessary because cacao powder is quite bitter.

Ingredients
yields: about 12 ounces

• 5-7 prunes
• 1 cup organic frozen strawberries*
• 1 cup coconut milk
• 1T chia seeds
• 1T raw cacao powder 
• 1T agave (or to taste, optional)
• 1T cacao nibs (optional)

*Strawberries are on the "Dirty Dozen" of foods highest in pesticides, so I recommend only eating organic ones. 

Toss everything in the blender. If your blender isn't super powerful, let the berries thaw slightly before blending.

Blend until smooth. 

How gorgeous is the color of this smoothie? It's almost a mahogany. Oh yeah, and it tastes great, too!

I like to throw some cacao nibs on mine for a fantastic crunch.

Happy Valentine's Day, friends!